An affordable Earthship: I’ve been in love with the Earthship building concept for years, but no way I’d ever be able to afford one. That may be changing, though: the “Simple Survival” model Earthship is designed to provide the amenities of these self-sufficient structures without the “mortgage bondage.” Check it out above.

The Earthship, the radical, self-contained housing concept created by architect Michael Reynolds (and documented in the film GARBAGE WARRIOR), has become a worldwide phenomenon: over 1000 of these buildings now exist around the world. Many of them, despite their location, still bear a striking resemblance to the original Earthships first built in the New Mexico desert… just take a look at the photo above of one in Brighton, England. There’s nothing wrong with that, but a group of Northern Irish advocates for sustainable housing would like to see the concept reflect a European aesthetic… and are challenging students at the University of Ulster to come up with designs for a European Earthship.

David de Rothschild’s Plastiki is a seaworthy boat made from reclaimed plastic bottles. Michael Reynolds’ Earthships (the subject of the documentary GARBAGE WARRIOR) are homes built from reclaimed materials, and designed to provide basic needs for the homeowner: energy, food, water, and waste disposal. Put the two together, and you get the Landlord Independent, a…